Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Transport UK

Chris Grayling, the shadow transport secretary, said: "When the Government seems determined to introduce a national road pricing scheme, it is ludicrous to be pursuing a policy that will price many people off the trains too.

These increases are coming at a time when overcrowding on many services is very serious and set to get worse. It looks like the Government has decided to collude with the train companies to tackle overcrowding with inflation-busting rises that will force people off the rail network.

National road pricing scheme? Like the M6 toll? The price of which has, erm, also increasedabove inflation:

The cost of using the motorway will rise by up to 20 per cent on January 1 taking the standard fee for cars to £4.

The charge for cars exiting at either end goes up from £3.50 while people leaving at toll stations along the route will pay £3 instead of £2.50.

Vans and lorries will face an £8 day rate instead of £7.

So, that's rail prices up, road prices up, and lots of mention of that word, overcrowding. Strangely, no mention was made of possible causes of overcrowding, like, well, immigration. Of course not. Silly me for thinking that more people equals more demand on the transportation infrastruture.

The CBI certainly can't join any dots. Here's a quote from them today:

But Susan Anderson of the Confederation of British Industry said Migrationwatch was "seeking to score a few cheap political points".

Migrants to the UK bring valuable skills and ideas with them and help to fill job vacancies where Britons are unable or unwilling to do so," she said.

Their taxes help pay for our public services and our pensions, long after many migrants have returned home.

And yet, they have had the gall to moan about the UK's transport infrastructure, in the past. Talk about having your cake and eating it, too!